


The First One Who Loved Me

by Nihonkikuasa211



Category: Code Black (TV)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Major Character Injury, Romantic Friendship, Self-Reflection, Tag to 2x02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-08
Updated: 2016-10-08
Packaged: 2018-08-20 04:10:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8235631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nihonkikuasa211/pseuds/Nihonkikuasa211
Summary: There was a time in which Mario didn't care for anything. The resident thought back to the words stated by his patient, and of the feelings he has towards his Angus. It had been a week since Mike had fell, and Mario could still remember of how Angus waited by his brother's side. Why were the words still stuck in his mind? Was it because he was feeling something that he hadn't acknowledged until now?





	

**Author's Note:**

> I had a theory last night that the writers are purposely showing that Mario isn't as straight as people perceive him to be. Share your thoughts, please!

_The First One Who Loved Me  
_

 

              There was something about his patient’s words that echoed in his mind. Mario looked back at Angels, the dark night of the sky turning into dusk as the faint color echoed against the atmosphere. At small and rare moments like this, Mario often stared up at the sky as much as he could. The majority of the time, he was stuck as looking at the human traffic of the ER, his eyes now used to staring at patient’s charts until they blurred. It was nice. There was almost always sun in Los Angeles. If it was up to him, he and Angus –

              Mario looked back at the entrance to the ER, knowing that Angus was hunched over by Mike’s side and not taking the end of his shift off. For some reason, a hard lump appeared in his throat, and the dark-haired resident couldn’t make it go away. _Why am I held up like this?_ He had seen Angus at his worst, and yet nothing had prepared him for the depressing sight of seeing Angus holding his older brother’s hand and whispering, _pleading_ for him to wake up. _“I need you to wake up, Mike.”_ Many times the resident had seen a patient hooked up to a ventilator, the whoosh of the machine making its obnoxious and quite frankly, haunting sounds, as a family member pleaded for the patient to wake. Sometimes it was out of hope. Sometimes there was despair leaking out, tears sliding down their cheeks and clutching those limps hands that didn’t move. According to Angus, Mike’s hand had moved. _Perhaps it did,_ Mario thought as he thought back to Malaya comforting Angus in her own way – through sweet lies.

              _Angus should know this, but he’s too emotional right now._ The longer someone was in a coma, the less likely it was for them to wake up. It had been a long week. Prolonged ventilation could cause a patient to also not wake. As the diaphragm and the muscles were not working; lung failure. But Mario didn’t have the heart to tell him. He had already said enough. The image of Angus’ tired face was enough for another prolonged stare at Angels, as if the resident knew exactly where Angus was kneeling by his brother. _“It could be involuntary.”_ Mike’s twitch of the hand could be involuntary; it also could not be, and a sign that the older Leighton was waking up. But Mario couldn’t take any chances. He was already seeing too-familiar symptoms. The slight scruff that Angus had, and their fatigue in his eyes. Anger clouding his judgement whenever someone said something he didn’t agree with. The same symptoms that Angus had when he was addicted to Adderall.

              _“You were the first one who loved me for me.”_

              His father said that he was the only one who knew him. That he was a fake. Hell…even Mario at some point believed that. Mario thought he was fraud. That he didn’t belong with the residents who had wanted to study medicine for a purpose. But then, something had happened. _I found a place where I belonged._ The patients were nothing but annoying people with a simple paycheck that belonged to him a mere year ago; now the simple relief and caring for people fulfilled a part of his heart that he never thought that he would understand. Perhaps Dr. Hudson would be proud that he finally understood every single person that came into the ER were no different from him. Including his shitty father. But somehow…the sight of Angus’ eyes was enough to stop Mario’s soul. The sadness drowning in his eyes, the mirth and laughter gone was enough to make Mario stop and try to understand what he was feeling. His father didn’t know him. Mario had grown up. He wasn’t who had been two years ago. The first year resident who was an ass and didn’t care for even himself, thinking that there was nothing in his heart except old scars and a dead heart compiled of nothing good.

              _“You were the first one who loved me for being me.”_

Angus was the first one who didn’t take him shit. And the first one to accept him as he was. _He was the first one to see me smile, truly._ He took everything that was Mario Savetti. He was there when Mario went back to his old tricks, or wanted to be left alone; he was there when Mario was truly smiling and laughing with his first friend. Or…did those feelings change?

              There was a time in which Mario didn’t care for anything.

              But now…he cared for Angus.

              Why did he remember Ted, like he did Rose? Was it because he was feeling something that he hadn’t acknowledged until now? _Your smile…brightens me. I can’t see you like this, Angus. I never thought it would hurt this much._

_But I can’t say it. You’re too hurt. I can’t do this to you._

Mario looked back one last time at Angels and walked away.


End file.
